East Macedonia and Thrace region explores creation of EU’s first modern livestock park
The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is examining the possibility of establishing, with EU funding, the first modern Livestock Park in the European Union.
The park, covering an area of 100–200 hectares, would host livestock farming units with the goal of protecting local livestock from animal diseases.
As stated in an interview with ERT Komotini by the new President of the Rodopi Livestock Association, Dimitris Grigoriadis, farmers who were affected by the outbreak of sheep and goat pox are hesitant to risk joining the livestock restocking program using their current facilities — which he bluntly described as "shacks."
This is because the program stipulates that, in the event of a new infection within five years, they would not be entitled to compensation. Thus, they are seeking safer facility options.
In the coming days, a meeting is scheduled between interested livestock farmers, regional officials, and academic experts from the University of Thessaly and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki to explore the prospects of the Livestock Park.
Already, two candidate areas have been proposed in the western part of the prefecture, in the broader grazing lands near the villages of Dialambi and Meleti.
If the idea moves forward, it could both breathe new life into the local livestock industry and create new job opportunities.
ERT
